Day 8: First Rain

There are two seasons in Indonesia: musim kemarau (dry season) and musim hujan (rainy season). We're nearly on the equator, after all. I've been told that the rainy season used to belong to all months with "ber" (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, and DecemBER), but this isn't any longer the case. Last year, the rains continued until June. There hasn't been a drop of rain since our arrival last week, and, although it is hard to tell because compared to my Wyoming home this is all a big jungle, concrete or otherwise, it does seem rather dry. Today, a big, ugly cloud appeared and we had our first Jakarta rainstorm for an hour or so. It wasn't particularly remarkable other than the change in weather pattern.

I must admit it is strange to acclimate to living in a place where the daily temperature (usually around 33C or 90F) and sunrise (6am) and sunset (6pm) are all approximately the same year-round.

Day 7: CFC and Donats

There are a lot of international/American food chains in Indonesia. I feel like there is a Starbucks at every intersection (and in the lobby of the building where I work). KFC, McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, 7-11, Circle K, Ace Hardware,Carrefor, and others are countless. One side of globalization, I guess.

On the other side are Indonesian fast food chains that are almost like their competitors. CFC and Caldonat, for example. Fast food with a local twist. I haven't tried either one... yet.

Day 6: Through the Stomach

 Through my travels, I've determined that culture is best experienced through food. So far, it holds true for Indonesia as well. We headed out to an up-scale Indonesian restaurant in our neighborhood and were enamored with the atmosphere and cuisine. Lara Djonggrang is tucked back from the noisy street and, after you walk beyond the pretty banyan trees hung with lanterns and candle-lit entrance, you enter a different space--a rather delicious one as it turns out.

Indonesian food in general is spicy and tasteful - after all, the world did fight over its cloves, nutmeg, and other spices! We ordered some typical dishes - sate, or basically seasoned grilled meat on a stick served with chili sauce called sambal, and nasi (rice) with a variety of delicious side dishes. Since landing in Jakarta, we've tried lots of other dishes, including my favorite peanut-sauce and vegetable salad, gado-gado and rendang, a spicy beef dish.

The next couple years look to be incredible tasteful adventures with food variations from island to island to island. Yum!

Lara Djonggrang

An inviting doorway with candles and art

Lanterns hung in the banyan tree outside

Pretty decor

Red rice artfully plated

Fancy sate served in a seashell with spicy sambal

Chicken and various savory dishes

Day 5: A Cat on Every Corner

I tried to capture better pictures of the 5-6 cats we saw on our walk home last night, but this is the only photo that turned out to be any good. I walked passed this cat nap and couldn't help but take a picture. There are cats everywhere here, and they almost speak English in their Indonesian-language cry, "meong, meong, meong!" Cats in the garage, lurking around restaurants, on the streets, everywhere. Indonesians seem to like cats (especially as opposed to dogs, which are not commonly seen and are almost never pets as it is culturally/religiously not acceptable). These cats make themselves at home almost anywhere and are fun to watch and encounter. Even more fun, the word for cat is cute in Indonesian - "kucing."

Day 4: Wheels

As I shuttled back and forth to work today, I attempted to snap a picture or quick video of the two-wheeled traffic swarming our van... in vain! It is difficult to find the right perspective to capture everything that is happening. I couldn't get the right angles (but I'll keep trying).  Traffic in Jakarta is epic, and everyone knows it can easily take hours to cover a short distance if there is a jam or flooding. My two mile commute has taken a range of 15-50 minutes so far, a remarkably short amount of time by local standards.

Photo from a Washington Post article about traffic in developing countries

I am sure that I will feel differently after I have spent more time stuck in traffic jams, but today I thought the movement on the road was kind of beautiful. Drivers are not particularly aggressive, and it feels as though there is a kind of symbiotic relationship between cars, motorcycles, mopeds, and other forms of transit. Mopeds are everywhere and it feels as though they are swarming the car from all sides, what could be a frightening prospect for a driver used to the straightforward rules of the road in the U.S. or Europe. However, the traffic here is not fast moving, does not involve much horn honking or road rage. Where one vehicle leaves a space, 20-30 motorcycles fill in and around. It is quite something to watch and makes the commute more entertaining and bearable.

Day 3: Kota Tua

Yesterday, we played tourist here in Jakarta in the historic Dutch quarter in the northern part of the city. We managed to order tickets in Indonesian and boarded the train; escaping the car traffic, we had a good vantage point to watch the scenery and arrived after only about 15 minutes of transit time. As we acclimate to life in Jakarta, we are beginning to appreciate that everything in life is directly related to the amount of time it takes to get through the clogged streets and traffic jams.

We landed in the old Dutch quarter of the Old City--Kota Tua--and headed for the lovely historic Cafe Batavia. The best part was watching the busy square below us where colorful bicycles and matching helmets were being rented. Indonesians (and a handful of foreign tourists) were busy cycling the square, often 2-3 persons on a bicycle. Even better, many seemed to own a "selfie stick" with which to capture themselves in action with their smart phones. The selfie stick is simply a long rod onto which you can put your phone; it acts as a long arm so you can get good photos of you and your friends in action. Quite practical. The scene was colorful and plenty entertaining to watch. I am planning my return and outfit so I can borrow a matching bicycle to explore the square.

Day 2: Waking up to the Megapolis

Here's our morning view - quite a sight over a cup of morning joe!

Jakarta is a big city. In fact, it is a kind of mega, mega city with over 28 million people crammed into the metro area. My native Wyoming self is admittedly a bit shell-shocked at the population density and the sheer magnitude of a city that is reportedly in the top 5 megalopolises in the world (Tokyo and some Chinese cities are also in the running). From our Central Jakarta vantage point, the city never stops, keeping abuzz with traffic and alight with glittering buildings all night long.  Even today on what is known as car-free Sunday when two of the city's main arteries are closed to traffic, I can still hear the constant din of mopeds and activity on the streets below my dining room window!

Day 1: Dragon Fruit

Today, we ventured to the supermarket, only to be overwhelmed by the selection of fruits and vegetables - many of which we do not have vocabulary for, even in our native languages. Delicious manggas, passion fruit, snake fruit, durian, rambutan, lychee and other delicacies. We picked up some dragon fruit and dug right in - YUM!

A beautiful magenta color and tasting kind of like a mild kiwi, the dragon fruit was a perfect afternoon snack. We are now going to continue working through the fruit in our fridge and explore Indonesian tropical fruits. Our Indonesian classes were a good preview. When we started the fruits and vegetables section, not only the words but also the concepts were new. I guess we'll start adding new frames of references one piece of fruit at a time!

Indonesia: The First Hundred Days

It's official. The next adventure has begun. After a grueling number of transit hours and lugging our heavy suitcases halfway around the world, we are here and ready for whatever the exotic islands of Indonesia may have to offer us.

In the tradition of capturing those first, fresh moments of arrival, I plan to blog my first hundred days in Indonesia. I hope to notice, capture, and share the journey with friends and family so that you can also enjoy the newness of place and position. Enjoy the journey!

My Day Job

Wonder what I do as I wander?

Mindful Teachers just posted an interview that may make you wonder or want to wander.

Enjoy the read!